AUSTIN HIGH: PRESEASON AND EXPECTATIONS
AHS PRESS, 8/26, 6:39 PM
As the school year neared, The Austin High Tennis Team had a lot of questions surrounding their program for the Fall Season. They knew that Leslie Oduwole will return for her fourth year has head coach, but with Assistant Coach Bailey McCeachern’s departure, Oduwole is looking to find a new assistant coach to accompany her this year. Player wise, the maroons are returning a lot of players that helped them endure success the previous year, including state qualifiers Annabel Merritt, Ainsley Merritt, and Owen Plunkett. Moreover, 2o17 Regional Qualifiers Rebecca Jackson(2x), Emma Shneidman, Brendan KOlerich, Jacob Dominguez, and Holden Davis(Alternate) will all return this year. The big question though, surrounds around Regional Qualifier, and senior Anna Farris. Farris was essential to the success of Austin High Tennis in 2017 and 2018 Team Tennis Seasons, and she has expressed some desire to return, but they have not received conformation of her comeback just yet. The Maroons are also anticipating the approval of LASA Transfer, and Junior Superstar Elena Keitt. Keitt came over from LASA the previous year, and sat out the entire spring season. She is expected to be eligible for the Fall Season. Always being reliant on their girls lineup, the additions of Farris and Keitt would make the maroons a definite contender in the district 25-6a title race. They currently are the texastenniscoaches.com prediction to finish 4th in district, behind Lake Travis, Westlake, and Bowie.
Tryouts for the maroons came, and many of these questions were answered. Oduwole wiould now have Jason Kramer, a Basketball Coach and Engineering Teacher from Bowie, as her assistant coach during the fall campaign. Farris announced she will not be returning for the fall season, and it seemed now the approval of Keitt was “essential” to the success of the maroons this year. More on her later, but the Maroons did add some quality new pieces to their lineup. Headlining all was Connor Smillie, a freshman who is very highly ranked nationally. Also three more freshman in Natalie Harris, Ford Campbell, and Paige Jones who will all play a critical role this season. Lastly, they added a sophomore, and 2014 super champ, Nathan Joseph. Joseph is expected to race his way up the ranks after a long break from the sport, and should help the maroons a lot in the fall season.
The team learned the day before their district opener that Keitt was denied fall eligibility by UIL. This is definitely a loss for Oduwole, however she still possesses a quality lineup, 1-6 that can cause some upsets. Moreover, the maroons found out that Senior and 2 time state-qualifier Ainsley Merritt suffered a hand injury, and will most likely miss at least 7-10 days. This definitely throws the maroons in for a loop, and Merritt is hopefully ready to take on their cross-town district rival, in the Bowie Bulldogs, on September 6th.
The maroons are expected to make the Bi-District tournament for the 3rd time in 4 years under Oduwole, and for the first time in 6a.
